We discovered yet another one of those projects that challenges the traditional way of designing a home. Instead of straight walls and sharply defined corners, today we step into a perfect ring, where the architecture is organised around a void filled with light.
Circular homes are gaining ground, largely thanks to the advantages of their layout: a central courtyard that brings natural light and ventilation to every room, with windows facing both the interior and the surrounding landscape.
In the highlands of Payangan, Indonesia, German-Indonesian architect Alexis Dornier takes this idea to the extreme in the Villa Omah Prana, a house without corners designed for total immersion in Bali’s lush nature, where architecture and landscape merge into one continuous experience.
Implanted within a tropical forest setting, this 475-square-metre home is organised around a central axis, transforming every room into a private viewpoint.
The architect himself summarises it like this: it is “a ring-shaped floor plan that places all the rooms along the perimeter, orienting them towards the surrounding landscape.”
This organisation makes living here a constant transition between the protection of the house and the vastness of the forest, in a gentle back-and-forth between indoors and outdoors.
What makes this project truly special is its unexpected source of inspiration: the design comes directly from Ken Adam’s conceptual sketches for the Moonraker film.
The cinematic influence is translated into a bold and sculptural geometry reminiscent of 1970s space stations, but in this case “grounded” through the use of local materials and natural resources, anchoring the futuristic form to Bali’s tropical landscape.
Far from feeling cold or overly technological, the villa conveys a sense of warmth thanks to a contemporary reinterpretation of local craftsmanship. Its dark brick walls are arranged in a complex herringbone pattern, representing the tradition of Balinese textiles.
These walls not only define the structure but also integrate empty sections that function as authentic natural mashrabiyas, allowing sunlight to enter and filter through while enabling the breeze to flow across the rooms. The result? A reduced need for artificial climate control and a far more sustainable home that breathes in rhythm with the tropical climate surrounding it.
The heart of the house is undoubtedly the central inner courtyard. Organised around a large circular brick planter, the villa “breathes inward.”
The roof follows the curvature of the building and gently slopes towards a central oculus that allows light and rainwater to enter, nourishing the interior garden while simultaneously creating its own microclimate at the centre of the house.
The interior of Villa Omah Prana moves away from pretentious luxury and instead focuses on the honesty of materials.
The furniture and all the carpentry work, crafted in light wood, were arranged to follow radial axes, reinforcing the sensation of fluidity and continuous movement throughout the house.
In this home there are no visual barriers: the living room and dining area open directly onto both the outdoor swimming pool and the central courtyard, completely blurring the boundaries between what is covered and what is open-air.
According to the architect, the villa “invites close observation; it is rich in detail, yet remains serene and deeply connected to the earth.”